Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Short cuts

1) In the last two weeks, I've ridden over a hedgehog, an adder and two squirrels. But don't blame me for the untimely demises of these creatures -- they were already dead. The drivers did it. (How do I know? Animals don't get that flat when ridden over with by bicycles. Even if the peloton rode over a hedgehog, there'd be some bumps left.)

2) "The slender leg, with a little bitty calf, belongs to the climber. The good-sized thigh - that's a sprinter. The long and harmonious leg - a rouleur (a racer on the flats). A short femur? He'll be swift. Rounded buttocks? He'll start strong. Slender ankles and knees mean class. Contrary to what's usually claimed, fat calves aren't all that useful: the essential energy of the cyclist is concentrated in the back, the buttocks, and the thighs." - Paul Fournel: Need For The Bike.

I'm definitely a climber then. My thighs grow slowly but steadily, but my calves don't seem to bulk up much. Being unable to grow them, I'm relieved that big calves aren't that useful. They may look impressive though.

3) After reading Bike Snob's book, I thought something along the lines of "Wow, he said it all". Is there a point in blogging anymore when somebody's already written the things you've vaguely thought of writing about, way better than you could ever do it? Perhaps there is. At least I get to practice typing.

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